The invention relates to a diagnosis apparatus for the picture providing recording of fluorescing biological tissue regions, in particular by an endoscope with a light source which with the application of a filter arrangement emits at least one spectral region which is suitable for fluorescence stimulation in the tissue, with optics for acquiring and guiding the fluorescent light reflected by the tissue, with at least one video camera which records the pictures ot at least two various spectral regions of the fluorescence light reflected by the tissue and guided by the optics, and with picture processing means which by processing the picture information of the pictures recorded by the video camera of the various spectral regions according to a certain processing algorithm, produces in at least two separate channels in each case color-separate picture signals serving the diagnosis of the tissue region to be examined, wherein the color-separate picture signals at the outputs of the separate channels are inputted to an RGB color monitor so that this produces a mixed-color monitor picture.
With such a diagnosis apparatus (EP 0 792 618 A1) the light reflected by the tissue region examined is split into a red and green spectral region by way of a color splitter comprising a dichroitic mirror. The red spectral region is then separately from the green spectral region in each case recorded by an image intensified CCD solid-body camera. The analog output signals of the red and green video cameras after amplification and analog-digital conversion are led to a respective color channel of a video processor comprising a microcomputer. The digitalized picture signals are modified by the video processor with respect to the relative amplification of the digital video signals and upon this are converted back into analog picture signals, which simultaneously are supplied to a red and green input of a RGB color monitor which produces a phantom color photo in which healthy biological tissue appears cyanine colored and cancerous tissue red.
Further similarly constructed diagnosis apparatus for the picture providing recording of fluorescing biological tissue regions, in particular with the help of an endoscope are in each case described in EP 0 512 965 A1, U.S. Pat. No. 4,821,117, DE 196 08 027 A1 annd in SPIE Volume 1203 (1990), pages 43-52.
All previously mentioned diagnosis apparatus for the picture providing recording of fluorescing biological tissue function with two image-intensified cameras or CCD solid body pickups. Partly they also use a laser as a light source. Due to the double design of the video camera, the camera head to be fastened to the endoscope is correspondingly heavy and bulky and considerably hinders the handling of the endoscope.